At Long Last
by Fantasyfan4ever
Summary: Leah Clearwater contemplates her life while in the forest. While she is there, she encounters an injured person. That meeting changes her life. Takes place after Breaking Dawn.


**A/N: Hey everyone! It brings me great pleasure to bring you another Twilight one-shot. This one is centered on Leah. After reading Breaking Dawn, I started to like Leah and thought of the idea on how she would be imprinted. So, this is basically my idea of how it would happen.**

**In case you haven't noticed, this is the reedited version. There were some minor errors, and I decided to add some things. **

**Disclaimer: The Twilight series doesn't belong to me. Stephanie Meyer is the rightful, lucky owner. **

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She didn't care where she went. As long as she was away from the pack, she would be happy wherever she headed up.

However, Leah Clearwater wasn't too surprised as her instincts lead her to the La Push forest. For as long as she could remember, it always served as a sanctuary to her even before her transformation. Surrounded by towering trees, she felt secluded from the word and left to dwell in her thoughts. That is, when she was in her human form.

Luckily, none of the guys bothered to contact her since she phased into a werewolf almost an hour ago. _What a miracle_ she sarcastically thought to herself as she entered the eerie forest.

It was a bright, sunny afternoon, but the trees blocked out most of the sunlight. A light breeze swept through the treetops. All was tranquil.

Leah sighed as she slowed her pace. At long last, she was by herself. Although she could be interrupted at anytime, she preferred to stay in her beast form. For some reason, it made dealing with her emotions much easier.

For the last two years since the encounter with the Volturis, peace resigned throughout the area. The Volutri no longer served as a threat. Leah and her brother Seth still remained with Jacob Black's pack, but they made terms with Sam's pack. Now, all three clans were deep friends with all hatred put behind them. Leah never thought she'd see the day, but she wasn't resentful about it either.

Little Nessie Cullen continued to grow up; she was now in her preteens. To everyone's surprise and Jacob's delight, she was apparently showing signs of having a crush on Jacob. Lately, she was acting shy around him and constantly made a fool of herself whenever he was in her presence. While her parents, especially Edward, were pissed a little, everyone was satisfied and relieved. When the time came, Nessie would gladly accept her place as Jacob's intended mate.

Leah strolled casually into an open field. Once reaching the center, she stopped and laid down. She was right into the heart of the forest. It was dead silence except for the calm whistling of the breeze. It swept gently through her fur cooling her off.

She laid her head on the ground and curled up. Lately, she had been coming here. There was no danger in the area, so the pack had plenty of spare time. Everyone spent most of it with their imprinted mates. That is, everyone except her.

Anguish, loneliness, and other familiar emotions swept her mind. She couldn't care less if the others felt her or not. She couldn't handle herself in her human form.

She was currently attending the local college like she always planed she would. In just a couple of years, she would earn her degree in environmental science; hopefully, she'd be able to handle a career along with her pack responsibilities. But, what came after that?

After three years, all of her fellow werewolves had imprinted. Even Seth just imprinted a week ago on one of their neighbors. Yes, she was happy for him but also envious at the same time. For God's sake, he was her younger brother! Suddenly, it became a nuisance to hang out with the other werewolves. Half the time, they would chat about their imprinted girls and go all goo goo- gaa gaa on them. It both sickened and pained her.

Then, just earlier this morning, her cousin Emily called her announcing that she and her husband Sam Uley (and Leah's ex-boyfriend) were expecting a baby. That news finally made Leah crack. After quickly extending her congratulations, she hung up the phone and ran out of her house.

Even though Emily and Sam had been married for the last two years, Leah could still not get over him. She accepted the fact; after all, it wasn't Sam fault that he imprinted on Emily. But what is Emily had never come for a visit? What if somehow Leah would be in her position instead?

She faintly growled and shook her head. _Get over yourself; you should be happy for them. It's time to move on. _

_Move on with what? _a curious voice asked. Leah rolled her eyes. So much for her solitude. _Nothing. Just thinking to myself. Go away._

_I don't think so_ Seth retorted. Even though he was harsh, Leah could sense his concern.

_I thought you were with Sophie. _

_I was; she just left for her surfing class, and I'm now on patrol. Is everything alright Leah? _

_Yes, I'm fine. Just wanted to spend some alone time. _

_Yeah, being in your werewolf form certainly guarantees privacy _Seth derisively commented.

Before she could think of a sardonic comeback, a sudden noise distracted her. Her ears perked up, and she scrambled to her feet.

_What's up? _Seth urgently asked as he sensed her alertness.

_Heard something in the distance. About a mile from where I'm at. _It came again; it sounded like a yell. _Sounds like someone needs help. I'll go check it out. _

_Alright; be careful. And Leah?_

_Yes? _she impatiently inquired. After a quick stretch, she began sprinting in the direction of the yell.

_We really need to talk afterwards. You may not realize it, but we're all worried about you. _

_Seth…_

_Call us if you need any help. Good luck. _Immediately, his presence vanished from her mind.

She didn't let his words bother her. Right now, she had to help out some person. Just then, she heard the voice louder now and slightly to her right. She altered course and increased speed.

She slowed down as she saw a figure sprawled on the ground in the distance. Hiding herself behind a thick bush, she phased back to her human form and put on her clothes which were tied around her ankles.

After making herself as presentable as possible, she rushed out and ran to the reclined person. She sucked in a deep breath as she realized that the person was badly wounded. The left leg was badly injured with a deep dash in the knee. There were scratches on both arms.

When she finally got to the victim, she sat down and checked for other possible injuries. Nope, there was nothing else. The person was a young man around her age. Sandy-brown hair was tousled around his face, and his eyes were shut closed. He was slightly above the ground because of the backpack attached to his back. She checked his breathing and heart rate. _How did he end up like this? _she anxiously thought.

However, she realized that now was not the time to ponder that. She thumped his chest and administered CPAR. After a couple of efforts, the man finally began to breath. She sighed in relief and ripped off her blouse's sleeve and made a bandage. She began to wrap it around his knee just as he regained consciousness.

"What's going on?" he groggily asked. He weakly sat up and shook his head.

"You had an accident," Leah answered as she tightened the bandage, "I heard your yell and rushed over."

"You saved me?"

"I guess," she muttered.

"Thank you. I owe you my life," he whispered in appreciation.

She finished bandaging him and looked at him. "Your welcome." Just then, some powerful sensation struck her as her eyes met his.

Her heart rate intensely increased, and she stopped breathing. Her mind pounded in her head. She stared intently into the stranger's chocolate brown eyes. All of a sudden, she felt a bond with this man. She felt like it was fate for them to meet. She couldn't fully explain it, but she felt compelled to be with him.

A tinkling feeling spread through her body and she clutched her fists to control her trembling. It was as if some force was possessing her body.

"Are you alright?" the man softly answered after a long period of silence. His voice caused Leah's heart to skip.

"Yes," she whispered. Shaking her head, she asked, "Yourself?"

"My head is throbbing a bit, but I'm fine. You did a wonderful job with banging my knee."

"No problem," she shyly said. _What's going on? Why am I acting this way all of a sudden?_

Clearing her voice, she resumed. "Uh, so how did this happen?"

The guy chuckled. "Well, I was just taking a stroll through here when I suddenly tripped over that hole over there." He pointed to a rabbit hole about a foot away from them. "I fell down, and my head banged against this rock here." He patted a huge, pointy rock next to him.

Leah winced. "Ouch. What about your knee?"

"It struck that rock next to you." Leah glanced to her right; just as he said, she saw another spiky rock and even detected a bit of blood.

"Well, I'm sorry to hear what happened, and I'm glad that I was around to help you out." _And to meet you as well_.

The guy smiled at her. "Same here." He extended his hand. "David Kings."

She smiled back. "Leah Clearwater," she said as she shook his hand. She felt the sensation again as they made body contact. She quickly retracted her hand away hoping he didn't notice.

"Thank you very much for your help Leah," David said as he got up while adjusting his backpack. He winced as he stood up.

"Let me help." She stood up and wrapped her arm around his shoulder. The sensation grew monumental as well as the trembling. She felt like never letting go of him. _Get a grip girl _she mentally scolded.

"Thanks," David replied.

He guided them to his car which was parked near the road. As they walked, Leah's eyes swept through his body. He was only a few inches taller than her. He wasn't so muscular, but he was obviously in good shape. _He's an outdoor person_ she though in approval. _Nice, charming, sincere… I wouldn't mind a guy like him. _Suddenly, she was shocked at what she just thought. _Why did I just think that? I just met the guy!_

Once they got to David's care, Leah drove them to the hospital. They chatted the entire way, and Leah was pleased to discover that David had similar interests as she did.

To her mild disappointment, they finally reached their destination. After she checked him in, they had a moment before the doctor would be ready. They sat down in the waiting area.

"Well, it was a pleasure to meet you," Leah sincerely said.

"Likewise. Say, what's your number? Maybe we can hang out sometime," David said. His eyes sparkled, and his face was eager at the thought.

Warmth filled Leah's body, and her mind blanked for a moment. "S-Sure," she stammered. David handed her a pen and paper pad from his backpack, and she scribbled it down. He did the same, and soon, the doctor was ready to see him.

"Take care Leah. Thank you so much once again." He gave her a pat on the shoulder before the nurse sat him down in a wheelchair and took him away.

"Bye David!" she exclaimed waving. A goofy smile spread through her face, and for the first time in a long time, she felt happy.

She pondered on her body's effects towards David as she exited the hospital. Could she have finally imprinted? She was the first female werewolf, so nobody knew if the females could imprint. What if was only a crush?

"Leah!" a chorus of voices cried out. She squinted across the parking lot. Walking towards her were Seth and Jacob Black.

"What are you guys doing here?" she asked once they approached her.

"Checking up what happened to you," Seth answered.

"Yeah, during patrol, we saw you and that guy driving here from the forest," Jacob added.

She nodded. "Yeah, it turns out the noise came from him. He was injured, so I helped him get here." She kept herself composed and prayed that they wouldn't sense anything.

Seth nodded, but Jacob wasn't as oblivious. "Leah, you imprinted on him didn't you?" he stated.

"What?!" she bellowed. Her face grew red. "What makes you say that?!"

Seth's eyes widened, and he looked back at Jacob and then at her in bewilderment.

"I noticed how drawn you were to him Leah," Jacob reasonably explained, "your eyes gleamed with happiness." He grabbed her hand and held it in his large ones. "Also, your body warmth is hotter than usual; blood rate is high."

She snatched her hand away. "Don't be daft. I can't imprint, I just can't."

"How do you know for sure?"

"I…" she feebly began.

"Look," Jacob interrupted, "do you feel as if you have no control over your body or emotions? Do you have the desire to completely give up everything for this guy? Do you feel like every passing second you spend time with him is like an enternity?"

Leah silently considered Jacob's words. He was exactly right. She did have those thoughts. Finally, she gave a curt nod and looked down at the ground.

"Leah, don't be embarrassed. It's natural for us." Jacob gave her a quick hug. "And just so you know, I'm happy for you. Congratulations."

Leah stiffened for a moment, but sensing that Jacob was serious, she hugged him back. "Thank you. Sorry about how I reacted."

Jacob let go. "No problem. Come on, the gang is planning a gathering at the bench. You game?"

She smiled at him. "Yeah; I'd be happy to go."

Seth swung his shoulder around his sister's. "Glad to hear that sis. The others will be happy to learn the good news. And don't worry, we don't have to talk if you don't us to. I have a feeling that you're better now." He winked at her.

Leah grinned at Seth. "Nah, I'm up for it later. But I want you to know that I'm really feeling fine…now that is."

As they began to walk towards the beach, Leah felt eccentric. Yes, she was looking forward to meeting up with the others, but she had a strong desire to be with David. She wanted to be there for him as much as possible. She wanted him to know her feelings towards him. However, she knew she couldn't rush things; otherwise, things would be awkward.

In good time, she will tell him the truth and let him decide what to do. She cared for him too much to force him into such a complex relationship.

Never in her life had she felt so passionate about someone. She also thought Sam would be her only love. This imprinting for David was even stronger than that. Leah may not understand it completely, but she was absolute on one thing: David was now the guy she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

**A/N Wow! This is my longest one-shot yet. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it. Please review! **


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